Lilliesleaf, Hillhead

NT52NW 28 5436 2555.

NT 543 255 In 1993 Bradford University surveyed a rectangular ditched enclosure, previously known only from cropmarks, as part of the Newstead Project. This revealed traces of at least one circular internal feature, probably a building. Metal detector finds from the surrounding fields had included one lst century AD coin and part of a trumpet brooch. In the winter of 1994 the site was walked and several sherds of Roman pottery, including decorated samian were found. The findspot of a small piece of silver and a denarius of Domitian (AD 81-96) was examined by the Regional Archaeologist, who excavated an area of 4m sq. and concluded that these were isolated discoveries.

Sponsor: Borders Regional Council.

J Dent 1994d.

NT 543 255 Excavation was carried out in 1998 to investigate features detected during the 1993 geophysical survey, and to assess the character of occupation.

Hillhead is a single-ditched rectilinear enclosure (NMRS NT52NW 28). On the eastern side it is enclosed by a U-shaped ditch just under 5m across and 1.25m deep. Just inside the ditch were two thin spreads of rubble, which may represent all that remains of a rampart. This suggests a bank 4.5m across at its base, with no berm to separate it from the ditch and no trace of palisade or retaining framework. On the northern side the site is enclosed by a V-shaped ditch, 3.5m wide and 1.1m deep, cut into solid siltstone geology.

At the NE corner of the enclosure is a break in the ditch circuit, just S of the corner. As the ridge between the two sections of ditch was formed in part by soft silt geology it is assumed that this was a deliberate feature intended to act as a pathway in and out of the site.

Each section of the ditch had different fills. At the enclosure corner, strata consisted entirely of natural silting with virtually no cultural material and little to distinguish the ditch fill from natural. Five metres to the SE, the ditch was filled with a dark charcoal-rich layer yielding significant quantities of animal bone, slag and pottery. Both the other ditch sections also contained significant quantities of animal bone and some pottery - including one large piece of native pottery.

The settlement interior was more complicated than anticipated. A positive magnetic anomaly known from geophysics turned out to have originated from a saucer-shaped depression, overlain by a sequence of occupation deposits and rough metalled surfaces, up to 1m deep. The depression itself seems to have been created by the cutting of a building platform into the hillside. Overlying the early platform were dark, organic-rich layers separated by a rough spread of cobbling. These contained a bronze brooch, iron nails, Roman period pottery and glass vessel fragments, fuel ash slag and animal bone. Cutting these deposits were a series of rectilinear features, probably representing several buildings.

Sponsors: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Trimontium Trust.

A Wise 1998